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Engagement summary : Upper Athabasca Region surface water quality management framework

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Surface water quality management frameworks are a key component of Alberta's cumulative effects management system. These frameworks are designed to monitor, evaluate and proactively manage the... More ≫

Description

Surface water quality management frameworks are a key component of Alberta's cumulative effects management system. These frameworks are designed to monitor, evaluate and proactively manage the cumulative effects of human activity on ambient surface water quality in Alberta's major rivers. This report provides a summary of the feedback received during engagement processes undertaken to support the development of the Upper Athabasca Region Surface Water Quality Management Framework.

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Potential for gas migration due to coalbed methane development

Description

Coalbed gas (CBG) effectively consists of methane with minor amounts of ethane and propane, but no hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Recognition of CBG as an increasingly important energy resource has led... More ≫

Description

Coalbed gas (CBG) effectively consists of methane with minor amounts of ethane and propane, but no hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Recognition of CBG as an increasingly important energy resource has led to rapid expansion of exploration activity. Rapid development started in the 1980s in the western United States of America (USA), and has spread over the last six years to the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Increased production activities have brought increased awareness of environmental issues surrounding CBG development. In particular, reports of negative experiences associated with early CBG development in the USA have raised stakeholder concerns in Canada. Alberta CBG development has largely avoided the water resources issues experienced in the USA from CBG exploitation for two reasons. The major CBG resource plays in Canada to date have been in ‘dry’ coals, while ‘wet’ CBG coals developed in the USA required dewatering in order to recover the gas. Secondly, the rapid...

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